Victor Orban: We want more Russian gas.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on January 28th that Budapest wants to increase imports with Russian gas. He said he would do that during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week.

“I would like to increase the amount of gas coming to Hungary from the levels agreed on in the gas contract between Russia and Hungary”, said Orban, who has friendly reports with Putin.

In September last year, Hungary signed a new natural gas supply agreement. In the deal with Gazprom, Russia's state-owned company, Hungary will receive 4.5 billion cubic metres of gas annually through pipelines bypassing gas transport through Ukraine. The deal has been 15 years.

Ukrainian officials have criticised the agreement and the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has dubbed it <x0 political, economically unreasonable and in favour of the Kremlin, as well as at the expense of Ukraine's national interests and reports between Ukraine and Hungary”.

Asked about the current tensions between Russia and Ukraine, which were sparked following the delocation of over 100,000 Russian troops along the Ukrainian border, Orban told state radio that Hungary “is interested in peace”.

He added that he would work to strengthen co-operation with Russia in the food, tourism industry and space research.

Following the worsening economic situation due to the coronary pandemic, Hungary will hold elections on April 3rd, expected to be a strong test for Orban and his right-wing party, Fidesz.

Orban has been in power since 2010.